General Tso鈥檚 chicken
General Tso鈥檚 chicken may be the emblematic go-to dish at听Chinese restaurants across North America but this supposedly Hunan dish is virtually unknown in China.
In her 2013 cookbook "," Fuchsia Dunlop explains that General Tso鈥檚 chicken was actually invented by a Hunanese chef in exile. Peng Chang-kuei fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Revolution (1949-50). He moved to New York City in 1973 where he听opened a Hunanese restaurant.
While Mr. Peng invented General Tso鈥檚 chicken in Taiwan, naming it for the Qing Dynasty military leader Tso Tsung-t鈥檃ng, he propelled the dish to its current apex of popularity through his former New York 听restaurant. The听original dish was redolent with the flavors of Hunanese cuisine 鈥� heavy, sour, hot and salty. In a bid to听appeal to his American customers, Mr. Peng added sugar. And it worked! Today, his General Tso鈥檚 chicken is widely imitated and widely celebrated.
听stays true to Mr. Peng鈥檚 original version but I adapted it to imitate the flavors we鈥檙e more familiar with here in the US.
The history 鈥� and mystery 鈥� of General Tso鈥檚 chicken has sparked much curiosity, including a new documentary, ","听that听is out in select theaters听this month. Directed by Ian Cheney, it was also co-produced by听, the author behind "," an excellent book tracing the Chinese-American experience through the lens of food.
One thing鈥檚 definitely not a mystery 鈥� General Tso鈥檚 chicken is one tasty dish!
General Tso鈥檚 chicken
Serves 4听
Although I鈥檝e seen potato starch (or flour) in several Japanese recipes (in particular,听), I鈥檝e never used it before and was pleasantly surprised. The chicken turned out light and crispy and the frying oil was clean, i.e. no floaty bits! This is good news for the gluten-free. You can substitute potato starch for all purpose flour in many recipes from sweet and sour chicken to honey pork chops. If you don鈥檛 have potato starch, corn starch is fine.
Sauce
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon听potato starch
1-1/2 tablespoons听rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1-1/2听teaspoons听sesame oil
1/4 cup water
Marinade
1听tablespoon听soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing Chinese wine or dry sherry [editor's note: optional may substitute orange juice]
1听egg听white, beaten
2听tablespoons听potato flour
1 pound听(4 to 5) skinless, boneless听chicken thighs cut into 1-inch chunks
Vegetable oil for frying
8听dried听red chilies, shoulders snipped and seeds removed
2听teaspoons finely chopped听ginger (1脳1-inch piece)
2听teaspoons minced听garlic (2 large cloves)
Chopped green onions for garnish
1. For the sauce, combine the sugar, tomato paste, potato starch, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and water in a small bowl. Stir until the potato starch has dissolved and no more lumps are visible. Set aside.
2. For the marinade, combine the听soy sauce, Shaoxing wine (if using), egg听white,and potato starch in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix well to coat.
3. Pour about 1-1/2 inches oil into a 14鈥� wok or Dutch oven and set over high heat until the oil reaches about 350 degrees F. Carefully lower the chicken into the oil (preferably piece by piece so they don鈥檛 stick) and fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp and golden. Using a metal spider or slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked (I had 3 batches). Let the oil cool down a little and pour into a heatproof container (I used a glass jar). Wipe the wok clean.
4. Set听the wok back on the stove over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When hot, toss in the chilies and stir for a few seconds, until they just start to darken in color. Don鈥檛 let them turn burn! Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the ginger and garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the sauce, stirring as it thickens. Return the chicken to the wok and stir continuously to coat. Remove to a serving dish and scatter with green onions. Serve with freshly steamed rice and a vegetable side dish.
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